Jeffrey Toobin returned to CNN as the network's chief legal analyst on Thursday, eight months after he exposed himself during a Zoom call with colleagues at The New Yorker.
Toobin was interviewed by anchor Alisyn Camerota on "CNN Newsroom" about that incident, and about recent legal news.
"I feel like we should address what's happened in the months since we've seen you," Camerota said. She summarized the situation and said, "To quote Jay Leno, 'What the hell were you thinking?'"
Toobin described himself as a "flawed human being who makes mistakes" and said his conduct was "deeply moronic and indefensible."
He added, "I didn't think other people could see me," but he admitted that was no defense.
In the interview, Toobin expressed apologies to his wife and family, to the people who were on the Zoom call that day, and to his colleagues.
"And I'm sorry to the people who read my work and who watched me on CNN who thought I was a better person than this. And so, you know, I got a lot to rebuild, but I feel very privileged and very lucky that I'm going to be able to try to do that," he said.
Toobin said he has spent his "miserable months" off-air "trying to be a better person."
He mentioned "therapy;" public service like working a food bank; and a forthcoming book about the Oklahoma City bombing.
"I am trying to become the kind of person that people can trust again," he said.
Going forward, Toobin will be back on CNN regularly in his chief legal analyst role, a spokesman confirmed. Toobin said he was "incredibly grateful" to continue working at the network.
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